Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of genetic conditions that cause the skin to be very fragile and to blister easily. Blisters and skin erosions form in response to minor injury or friction, such as rubbing or scratching. Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), the most severe and classical form of the disease, is characterized by extensive blistering and scarring of the skin and mucosal membranes. The COL7A1 mutations associated with RDEB impair the ability of collagen 7 to connect the epidermis and dermis; and subsequent separation of the epidermis and dermis as a result of friction or minor injury causes the severe blistering and extensive scarring of the skin associated with RDEB. People with RDEB exhibit incurable, often fatal skin blistering and are at increased risk for aggressive squamous cell carcinoma1. Gene augmentation therapies are promising, but run the risk of insertional mutagenesis. Current gene therapy tools (e.g., viral-mediated gene-addition) rely on the provision of functional copies of a therapeutic gene that integrate at random or semi-random into the genome. The consequences of the random integration are perturbation of the locus where the cargo lands and potential gene inactivation or dysregulation (off target effects). These can result in life threatening side effects to the patient. It is therefore described herein engineered transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALENs) for precision genome-editing in cells of patients with, for example, RDEB, and other genetic disorders.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entireties.